Barely a year after Bedfordshire’s newest brewery opened, three of the Ampthill Brewhouse beers have been included on the shortlist for the East Anglia Champion Beer of Britain competition.

The brewery has started selling one of them in new limited-edition “Tommy’s IPA” bottles as a tribute to more than 700 locally-trained soldiers who never returned from the Great War.

Members of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) are being asked to vote for their favourite beers in several different categories with the winners will go through to take part in the national Champion Beer of Britain finals next year.

The Brewhouse Sessions Ale is nominated in the bitter section, up against 31 other beers from the region, including the long-established Charles Wells’ Eagle, Young’s London Gold and two beers from Shefford’s thriving B&T brewery.

Ampthill Brewhouse’s Golden Ale and Indian Pale Ale are both listed among the contenders for best bitters.

Head brewer Mary Jeffrey, said: “We are very pleased to hear that we have been nominated among others in the region as we settle into life as an ongoing brewery rather than just a start-up.

“We have now celebrated our first birthday with a new beer and a cake shaped as a beer cask.

“There is plenty more hard work ahead to ensure we earn our place as part of Bedfordshire’s brewing tradition, but it helps to have so many in our local community supporting us.

“We are also pleased to be helping with the commemorations of the Duke of Bedford’s first world war Ampthill Camp, with a limited edition label for our IPA renamed ‘Tommy’s IPA’ in recognition of the soldiers who boarded trains for the front from very close to where our brewery now stands.”

Tragically, almost a third of 2,235 troops who trained in Ampthill between 1914 and 1916 never returned from the Western Front.

Mary added: “On a cheerier note, we hope many people will celebrating Christmas with a glass or two of our new festive brew Rudolph’s Ruin – it’s ideal for lovers of dark, stronger beers.”